How to Make Homemade Ice Cream: Your Teeth Will Thank You Later

It's hard to find someone who doesn't like ice cream. Oh, you might squabble over whether soft-serve or firm is better, fruit flavor versus ooey-gooey hot fudge or caramel or the precise difference between ice milk, ice cream and frozen custard -- but there's an ice cream out there for everyone.

Yet all those choices aren't necessarily good because ice cream is loaded with sugar, and sugar is the main cause of tooth decay and cavities. Maybe you're not too concerned with a cavity here and there, but it goes beyond that. Tooth decay can lead to gum disease, which can lead to tooth loss. Gum disease has even been linked to serious conditions like heart disease and pancreatic cancer.

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Still, all isn't lost if ice cream is your guilty pleasure. It's easy to make your own ice cream, and recipes abound for tasty low- and no-sugar versions. Do a quick online search, and you'll find recipes that require nothing more than a handful of ingredients and a freezer container to gourmet types containing unsweetened cocoa powder imported from France that require constant stirring and whisking.

Keep in mind that when you're making your healthier ice cream, the texture and taste may be different from what you're used to based on the sweetener you use and the recipe itself. If you don't care for the first few batches you try, don't give up. Look for recipes with different ingredients or tinker a bit with some of the quantities.

And remember that low-sugar and no-sugar recipes don't mean the final product will be low-cal. There are often still plenty of calories, and if you start eating double cones because the ice cream has reduced sugar, you might safely satisfy your sweet tooth but could end up with a pudgy tummy.